I'm here but will soon be gone again. I'm at my aunt's house, which was built in 1907. My uncle was here last night but had to fly out early this morning.
The boys and dad camped out in the back yard in the tent with cots and sleeping bags. Right now Aunt Sally is checking on the dog, Winston. He is walking stiffly and is very old. She is worried that he will either nip one of the boys because he is irritable or feel better and push them over with his paw. So we gave him aspirin in peanut butter sandwiches last night.
We are planning on going to an art museum this morning and swimming in their pool this afternoon.

We saw the B.'s and stayed with them Saturday and Sunday night and went to church with them. I jotted down some notes about liturgical differences that I noticed, which I may blog later today, but I don't know how much time I'll have.

My Saturday, or Why You Should Never Turn off Your Brain on Weekends....

Six things I learned Saturday--
1. Before pulling out of the driveway to go shopping with your mother at the mall, it is wise and smart to check your purse for your WALLET, which contains your DRIVERS LICENSE
2. This means you (a) have it, (b) know you have it.
3. When you get home and discover your wallet is missing, it is a good idea to stop everything and logically think about where it could be.
4. Although calling Mall Security, Robinsons-May, and J.C. Penney's Customer Service is also interesting.
5. When you go to the pool, leave your wallet in the car, come out, drive home, and get out, putting your wallet in the pool bag, it is very advisable to take the wallet OUT of the pool bag before tossing it in the closet.
6. Its funny when the lady at customer service helpfully inquires "Have you deactivated your bank cards?" when you only have a savings account. It becomes much funnier after you find the wallet, as do most things.

I had a nice shopping trip and drove there and back. Then after dinner I got ready to go get a movie (The Pianist) and checked my purse for my wallet/ID/driver's license. It wasn't there. I'm stunned. My mother suggests perhaps it fell out of my purse in the dressing room and someone found it. So I call. The people I got were all very sympathetic, which made me feel slightly better then and slightly guilty now (since I didn't deserve any sympathy at all!).

"Shhh...don't tell ANYONE its Father's Day!"

My brother Shawn, misunderstanding what he was supposed to keep secret. We explained that everyone knew that it was Father's Day and it wasn't just for our dad. What he wasn't allowed to tell (and amazingly, none of them did) was that mom bought seven squirt guns (for the kids and dad) and that I was making an apple pie (his favorite). I hadn't ever really made an apple pie before, and I did it without any help except with peeling apples. It looked pretty nice, but tasted great (if I do say so myself!). We had it after dinner and the water fight after church.

My Saturday was really something. I'll try to blog about it before we leave on two weeks of vacation on Thursday.

Yesterday, June 11th, was the one year anniversary of our adopting four of my brothers. We played kiddy golf and went out for ice cream to celebrate.
One year ago yesterday we went downtown to the courthouse and children piled over adults because there weren't enough chairs, and the heavy lawyer asked questions and the judge looked relieved to have a simple, happy case to deal with. Then we went out to lunch at a fun pizza serving restaurant with the pastor and his family. The next Saturday we had a huge party- cake, balloons, relatives... And four baptisms. The next Sunday, the boys were finally able to partake of the bread and wine, instead of being excluded. The imagery was beautiful. The parellel of being adopted by us and of being adopted by God, and of the symbols (new middle names and baptism).

Did you know toothpaste foams when you try to rub it off carpet with a wet cloth? Neither did I till Brendan got toothpaste on the carpet this morning.
The range trip was good. I'd never really helped learners before but I think I did alright. The younger girl, Theresa, was a natural. Shooting the single shot .22, she slid out the bolt after every shot and engaged the safety in a a single fluid motion. Her aim was also good.
When we got back from the range, my friend Heather was here. She stayed Saturday night and went back home after church Sunday. We had a great time.

Saturday morning.
The boys are eating cereal in the kitchen. Dad is putting baseboard down in the bathroom we tiled recently. We're going to the range later to help some friends learn about guns.
They're going hunting with Kit's family, so the shooters need practice. Should be fun. I haven't seen their oldest daughter for a while, not since Kit's party, so I'll enjoy catching up with her.

Bush's war doctrine questioned
News analysis by John Diamond and Bill Nichols, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration's policy of taking pre-emptive military action against dangerous nations faces growing scrutiny from members of Congress who voted for war in Iraq but now wonder why Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction have not been found.
Because pre-emption means striking an enemy before the enemy can attack, intelligence would be a key ingredient in any future pre-emptive action the president might propose. For example, Iran and North Korea are both said by U.S. intelligence to have active nuclear weapons programs that could be a threat to the United States. While the administration has said it has no plans to invade, those countries could be high on any list of pre-emption targets.

The inability to find banned weapons in Iraq has put U.S. intelligence under a cloud. Congress is beginning inquiries into whether intelligence claims about Iraq were accurate or exaggerated by the White House to smooth the way to war.

A failure by the Bush administration to prove its prewar allegations could undermine the pre-emption doctrine. The next time the president comes to Capitol Hill warning of an emerging threat, one that requires military action to pre-empt and defeat, some lawmakers of both parties say they will be skeptical.

The week in brief--
Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs.- boys' swimming lessons at local public pool. Mom and I swim laps for the 35 minutes they're at lessons. I did fourteen yesterday. Tuesday, crochet class. Thurdsday, Dad had a meeting.
I ventured forth in search of a birthday present for my buddy Katie. I went to the bargain store first, because they have interesting things, and often less expensive close-outs. I almost bought a lovely glass vase with 3-D glass flowers, but couldn't find one uncracked. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't find the heart to give her a huge, foot tall glass vase, either. Whatever would she do with it? You only need a vase that big a few times a year, at the most. I had fun looking, though. I settled on two floral print notebooks and a bottle of bath oil stuff.

Lest my outing lack the spice of adventure, as I was backing out of the parking space my side mirror slid gently up the top of the shopping cart anchored on the curb beside me. My brother alerted me to the fact that it was so. I realized if I continued backing up I'd rip off the mirror. Amid offers to get out and move the cart, I rolled down my window and tried to move it from inside. Discovering I couldn't, I unbucked and then leaned out the window. I pushed the cart away, then slid back in. Viola! I bet those two guys by the payphone staring had never seen that before. For that matter, I had never seen anyone do what I did, or did it before. New day, new adventures, what, what?

Yesterday...

We went with the G.'s and helped the B.'s load their two moving trucks. Or, to be more specific, Mr. G, Frank, Mr. B, two other men, my dad, and the mothers did. Ainsley, the B.'s oldest, and I were assigned babysitting duty. Yay! So off we went-- Ainsley and four younger siblings, two G. boys, my five brothers and myself-- to the park down the street. Where the boys (and two B. girls) chased lizards, found praying mantis', ate mulberrys, climbed trees, went down slides, swung on swings, etc. Ainsley and I sat on the bench for a while, then swung. David G. helped the youngest B., Andrew, (nickname: Drewness) swing on the swings. Since he's only oh, about seven, eight months, he needed held on and pushed. Ainsley and I both enjoyed watching David, 12, who is great with younger kids, and Andrew, who was grinning ear to ear. We relieved him and swung, and Ainsley had him on her lap. He laughed and laughed.

Dad is at men's forum right now. I'm being called to go get ready to go to the park and play tennis.